


I Like Drawing You A Lot

by lordzuuko



Category: Free!
Genre: AU, Assistant!Makoto, Fluff, Haru just can't stop staring at Makoto, M/M, Mangaka!Haru, Romance, rating will change as it progresses
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-12-30
Updated: 2015-01-13
Packaged: 2018-03-04 08:29:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 9,037
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3048668
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lordzuuko/pseuds/lordzuuko
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Nanase Haruka is the mangaka behind the famous swimming manga but all his assistants quit after a few days due to his attitude. He's going to have only one last assistant provided by the company and he's not quite sure how he'll get along with this new guy named Tachibana Makoto.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The New Assistant

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Huge thanks to [gypselia](http://gypselia.tumblr.com/) and [moeby](http://moeby.tumblr.com/) for proofreading this one! I love you guys. <3
> 
> It was because of this [ask](http://lordzuuko.tumblr.com/post/106590756753)!  
> I gave in, that's all there is to it. OTL

 

“Good Morning, Nanase-sensei.” Tachibana Makoto greeted with a warm smile as he entered the apartment, emphasizing the honorific that befit a famous mangaka like Nanase Haruka--or so he, at least, said when they first met.

Nanase Haruka believed he was no such thing; he thought Makoto was being ridiculous. It was probably just a throwaway phrase for assistants to say to the mangaka, you know, for them to be chummy and be on good terms. Haruka does not need any of that  sucking-up crap.

Well, that was with all his previous assistants who all decided to quit because of his attitude. It was not Haru’s fault they were all incompetent. He was always choosey about the people he hired because it had always been his dream to create a manga series that would leave a mark in people’s hearts—as cheesy as that may sound—and an assistant who could not even draw backgrounds or place screentones correctly was obviously out of the question.

Even his editor, Matsuoka Rin, was almost on the verge of giving up on finding him a new assistant. He does not get along very well with Rin, but he had to admit that despite being new to the business, and the scary shark teeth he possessed, he was proving to be quite capable. 

_“Stop being difficult, Haru. Damn it._ **_One_ ** _. I’m getting you_ **_one_ ** _last assistant and that’s it. If this one quits, you’re on your own.”_ Rin warned him during his last visit as he left, shutting the door. 

Fortunately, Makoto proved to be different than his past assistants. He wasn't faking being all chummy; he was... well, to put it in Haruka’s own simple terms, Makoto was pretty nice and kind. He wasn’t sure why but the guy who was towering over him had the warmest smile he had ever seen. Not to mention he smelled like strawberries... not that he once smelled him on purpose!

“Hmm,” was all Haru said in reply to Makoto’s greeting as he watched him go to his own table, the one right across from Haru’s so they were working face-to-face. It made it easier for Haru, who would sometimes request Makoto to do poses and expressions for him; furthermore, it was easier for him to pass the finished inked pages. It had a lot of advantages, especially since Makoto was quite new to the whole thing, so he was able to watch him work and correct him whenever he got something wrong.

Makoto placed his bag on the table and fished out what looked like a pack of gum.

“Want some, Nanase-sensei?” the boy with green eyes offered as he leaned closer to Haru.

_This is my last assistant. Don’t mess this up, Haru._

“Thanks.” Haru took a piece from the pack and started chewing on it when he noticed that Makoto was giggling. “What?”

“Nothing. Usually, you wouldn’t want gum so early in the morning. I just found it quite unusual for you to accept my offer.” Makoto explained, still giggling.

Haru turned to one side with a pout. How dare he point that out to him? He was trying to not mess this up and prevent Makoto from quitting within a week. “You knew about it, but you still offered. What exactly do you want from me, Makoto?” He was still sulking. He was the mangaka here and yet he felt so… so… lame?

Makoto looked at him and smiled once more. “Nothing really. It's just that being able to work with a mangaka has always been one of my dreams; and to be the assistant of  _the_  Nanase Haruka is almost too good to be true! The one who makes the famous swimming manga, it felt like a rock hit me!” 

“--Most likely,” came Haru’s monotonous reply as he kept scribbling on his paper. 

“When Matsuoka-san called and offered me the job, I honestly thought I was on cloud nine!” 

“You probably still are.” One stroke of the pen for the hair. 

“I’ve always wanted to meet the mangaka behind the series. As I mentioned before, I do collect all the volumes. I honestly thought you were a woman,” continued Makoto with enthusiasm.

“As most people do.” 

“So I kinda dressed up that day, the first day of my job and…”

“I remember quite well.”

“Then I saw you and—”

Haruka almost stopped inking since he did not actually want to know what Makoto’s first impression was of him. Back then he would not even have cared, but Makoto was different. Could it be because he was his last? Whatever the reason was, he gulped and gripped his pencil tighter. 

“You were disappointed…” Haruka finished his assistant’s sentence.

Makoto shook his head and smiled. “I was relieved you were a guy after all.” He laughed. 

_Oh._

“…Why is that so?” He wanted to know. He  _actually_  wanted to know. They had been working together for 4 days but this was the first Haru had heard of this story, so he honestly felt like no one can blame him for being curious.

“I…” Makoto started. “Well, hmmmm, how to put it…”

Haruka stared intently at Makoto, anticipating every word that would come out. Watching every movement of Makoto’s lips as he tried to explain.

“It’s much easier to be with fellow males,” finished Makoto.

Well. That was rather... anticlimactic. Not to mention, very, very, very generic.

Haru rolled his eyes. How could he be so stupid? Why did he even think that Makoto would say something unusual to begin with?

He handed forward a few sheets to Makoto. “Do beta on these ones for a start, Makoto. Your early morning stories are giving me a headache.” He rolled his eyes for Makoto to see, who just smiled fondly at him. 

Tachibana Makoto wasn’t exactly the best artist out there. In fact, he couldn't really do intricate backgrounds like one of his ex-assistants could. So in the end, it was Haru who would do all the backgrounds despite his unreasonable hatred for it. 

Makoto was in charge of the screentones and beta and everything else Haru could give him. The thing about him was that, despite his lack of art skills, he made up for it with hard work. Not once was Makoto late, nor was he disrespectful, and he never failed to greet Haru every morning. Perhaps it wasn’t so bad to have only one assistant. Four days and not once did they bicker--a bit of a record here for Haru. Sure, he tried to look annoyed but Makoto never took it seriously.

“Nanase-sensei?” Makoto called out.

“Hmmm?” Haru hummed.

“You’re doing okay, don’t worry,” Makoto continued as he stopped doing beta to look at Haru in the eyes.

Huh? What is Makoto talking about? Haru has never looked so confused in his life.

Makoto grabbed an eraser and began erasing one part as he went on, “I heard from Matsuoka-san about your issues with your past assistants.” He paused to look at Haru again to check if it got through to him. 

Haru looked back at him, with pain in his eyes. Oh no, he knows what happened back then. Sooner or later, maybe in a day or two, Makoto’s going to leave him too, just like the rest did.

Black was all over one panel Makoto was working on as he smiled to himself, “You should feel at ease. I won’t do those horrible things to you.” Again, he looked at Haru with an encouraging smile. “Look at us now. We’re getting along quite fine, right?”

Haru didn’t know how to react. He suddenly felt his throat go dry and tight. He felt like he had something itchy behind his eyes. So he averted his gaze from Makoto, and directed them back to his own work. If Makoto noticed his trembling fingers, he never said a thing.

“So, you don’t need to put that high wall of yours between us.” Makoto continued talking, making Haru think that his assistant could read his mind for a second . “Well, if you couldn’t avoid it then I’d try to break it dow—”

“ _Haru_ ,” mumbled the mangaka as he tried to distract himself with inking. “Just call me Haru.”

He could not see it, as he was too occupied staring at his paper as if it was the most amazing thing on earth, but Makoto was smiling at him.

 


	2. The Last Assistant

Working in silence in his apartment with his assistant never bothered Haru. In fact, he was quite thankful that Makoto wasn't so chatty while doing his work--apart from his morning stories, which Haru had become fond of but wouldn't verbally admit. Well, not yet anyway.

Haru noticed that Makoto was fond of his morning small talk. Haru never had to say a thing, and Makoto would just talk as enthusiastically as if he had. 

Haru found this oddly comforting.

He glanced at Makoto and he could see him struggling to cut the screentone for the protagonist's hair. It was amusing to witness such a big guy like him doing delicate work like manga making.

"Makoto," Haru suddenly called.

The boy in front of him looked up from his work with both confusion and delight on his face. Wait, why was he delighted? Was he delighted Haru called out to him? That's ridiculous. Why would anyone be delig--

"Yes, Nanase-sensei?" Makoto had his full attention on him now as he straightened his back and smiled at Haru like it was his first smile of the day.

Haru blinked. The way the sunlight hit Makoto's face gave him a dreamy look like he just woke up from reading a novel he couldn't put down the night before so he had to burn the midnight oil. Okay, Makoto looked a little bit attractive even to Haru. Again, he wouldn't admit it but even guys like him can appreciate male beauty, too. He wasn't blind. 

"Nanase-sensei?" Makoto looked worried as Haru was spacing out.

Haru shook his head. What was he even doing? He looked at Makoto in the eye, his eyebrows knitted in annoyance. Annoyed because he was thinking about his assistant's attractiveness and annoyed because the said assistant noticed. 

Seriously annoying.

"I told you to call me _'Haru,'_ Makoto." Haru snapped. 

"Oh, right." Makoto smiled. "I'm sorry, _Haru._ " 

Haru squinted trying to hide his blush because this was just embarrassing. Perhaps he made the wrong decision to make him drop the _"Nanase-sensei."_ His ears were already accustomed to it, so dropping it now would be something he'd have to get used to all over again--and it was. 

In any case, he swore he was going to make this work.  

He did not know anyone else who could be his manga assistant; after all, he was a recluse so the odds of meeting a fellow manga enthusiast competent enough for the job was next to none. Moreover, he lacked the social skills to go through the process of hiring someone anyway. 

_Makoto: The Last Assistant._

Haru giggled at the thought. No, but seriously, you have to admit that was kinda funny.

He heard that Makoto was giggling as well, so he stopped himself. He gave him a stern look that made Makoto stop instantly. They both went back to their work and pretended that nothing had happened. 

How on earth was this new assistant making him feel so stupid? He shouldn't have let his guard down around this Tachibana Makoto. He is a dangerous man. Very dangerous.

"Makoto," Haru started again. 

God, was he always this terrible at small talk or what? It can't be this difficult, right? Just something random would suffice. "How was Rin able to convince you to work with me? I know that the general impression manga assistants have of me is..." Haru sighed deeply. "...not pretty."

Okay, that wasn't so bad. Good job, Haru. Constant, proper communication has always been the key to a good relationship between a mangaka and his assistant. Or for anyone in general really.

Rin probably blackmailed Makoto or something, " _Do this job right or I will beat the crap out of you!"_   That seemed like a very Rin-like attitude. That guy obviously had anger issues he needed to control. Why on earth was he even an editor to begin with?

Makoto set aside his cutter and screentones, and then he looked at his work as if he was remembering something unpleasant.

Was Haru opening a can of worms on this one? Was this a sensitive topic to talk about? Could it be that Makoto sold his body to get this job?! As crazy as that may sound, it was not even the type of job that could earn someone millions.

"Well, I'm not really a manga assistant to begin with," Makoto admitted.

"Ha. Color me surprised," Haru blurted out then he realized his mistake. He should have not opened his mouth. 

Makoto laughed. "Yeah, I know I'm not pretty good at art, I do realize my limitations." He looked out the window. "Matsuoka-san is the editor I once presented my manga proposal to, actually."

What? Manga? Presented? Was Makoto aiming to be a mangaka himself?

"You don't have to look so surprised, Haru." Makoto laughed lightly. "But, yeah, I've known him for a few months now. In that time, I've been presenting him my works...  and..."

"...and you keep getting rejected..." Haru muttered, everything finally sinking in. He looked at Makoto to apologize for reaching such a conclusion but Makoto just smiled at him painfully.

"Yeah, guess I just wasn't good enough." He let out a laugh that sounded a little forced. "And, well, Matsuoka-san called me a few days ago and offered me a chance to see what it's like to be a real mangaka. He told me that maybe the key to me finally making something worth publishing is to observe someone who already knew the in-and-outs of it. Basically, he told me to go out and earn my sea legs." He breathed and looked at Haru. 

"He then told me he was handling you, and you needed a new assistant, so it was the perfect opportunity for me." He smiled sheepishly and glanced at Haru. "He told me not to panic as he knew very well that I was a big fan." 

Makoto sighed and cocked his head to the right. "To be honest, at first I didn't want to step down to being an assistant, but then I thought it might not be so bad. I could ask for some tips from you while helping you at the same time." He looked at Haru as if he'd said something wrong. "Ah! I... I mean if only you were okay with giving tips to someone like me, that is!" 

Haru pouted to one side. "Don't be stupid, Makoto."

A warm smile spread across Makoto's face, making Haru feel self-conscious by his apparent amusement.

"Ever since I first read your manga, I couldn't help but be in awe of the way you drew the strokes. Especially every time your main character swims freestyle. I can't help but be captivated." 

"They're just drawings," Haru interjected with a sound of annoyance to cover his embarrassment. Makoto didn't need to compliment him, it was just going to make things really awkward.

"Just drawings to most people, sure." Makoto agreed. "But to someone like me, who aspires to be at that skill level, it's not just a mere drawing, it's--" 

Something suddenly rang from Makoto's side and they were both alarmed. Makoto instantly fished out his mobile phone to answer the call.

"Hello? Matsuoka-san?" Makoto answered. There was a pause, followed by laughter. "Sorry,  _Rin_ ."

So, he calls him _'Rin.'_ They are on a first-name-basis already. Well, they should be, it was not really that odd considering they've known each other for quite a while now. Not that Haru cares. Not really.

"Yeah, I'm doing fine. Nana--I mean-- _Haru's_  fine, too." Makoto smiled at him. "Alright, I'll ask him. Hang on."

Dammit. It appeared that shutting off his phone no longer prevented his editor from calling him. He hated getting calls from Rin. All he ever does is nag him and scold him. Work faster! Do better!  _Work even faster!_  He was on a monthly serialized magazine, not a weekly one! Good heavens. That guy needed to chill. 

He was reminded of his previous editor. They'd had a good working relationship. He was a good man. A man of patience, that Ryuugazki Rei. What a guy. He'd kill people just to have Rei as his editor again, despite his odd taste in beauty. But life is never fair to him. There had been a sudden shuffle of editors and he'd landed Shark Teeth. Lucky him.

"Haru, Rin said he'll come by later to check on your progress. Is 10am fine?" Makoto asked while holding the phone away from his face.

Irritation was visible on the mangaka's face.  

"No. I don't need him," came his rather curt reply.

"DAMMIT, I HEARD THAT NANASE HARUKA, I AM COMING OVER THERE WHETHER YOU LIKE IT OR NOT." Rin's voice from the other line was so loud Makoto had to move his phone further away from his ears and then Rin just hung up.

Makoto gulped. "Well, um... there's _that._ " 

Haru rolled his eyes.

It was always Rin's way and Haru hated everything about it. It was clear as day that they did not get along well, and yet he was still paired with him. Where was the logic behind it? No matter how much he complained and demanded a new editor, the company wouldn't grant his request. Perhaps it was because no one wanted to pair up with Haru _or_ Rin, so the company thought it would be amusing to put them together instead?

What a complete disaster. That's what it was. Haru noticed, though, that ever since Rin became his editor, the flow of his manga had become clearer and it was attracting more readers than before. Not that he would admit that to Rin, himself. He was already cocky; an even cockier Matsuoka Rin was someone he could definitely do without.

He needed a distraction. Something to avoid Rin's arrival. Rin seemed to always make a dramatic entrance. He was such a diva, and Haru was in no mood for that today.

Haru took a deep breath. "Makoto, can you come with me to buy more ink?"

"But you have 3 more--" Makoto pointed to the shelf behind Haru that was a home to all his art materials: 3 bottles of ink, a box of erasers, a whole set of brushes, three boxes of pencils, a pile of papers, a set of extra utility knives, heaps of boxes of different pens and who knows what else was in there that Makoto couldn't even name.

"I need more," Haru cut him off as he placed his pen back on the holder with a bit of force.

Makoto was taken aback. "Alright then. Unless, you'd like me to get it my--"

" _No._ You're coming with me." Haru looked at him. "You want to be a real mangaka, right? Or are you going to reject me, too?"

Makoto smiled. "No, of course not. I would never reject you, Haru."

Haru was flustered at the response he received.

\----

"No, don't get that." Haru lightly slapped Makoto's hand that was holding a who-knows-what bottle of ink. He then grabbed a bottle that was on his left. "This. Always. Always use the black India ink."

"Oh." Makoto returned the bottle he was holding back to its place. "I never knew that."

"It's waterproof, which is important." Haru explained in a whisper as he leaned closer to Makoto,  careful to avoid possible eavesdroppers. He did not want people knowing he was Nanase Haruka; not that he'd ever had any traumatic experiences in regards to meeting his fans, but he preferred to keep his anonymity. 

"Your bottles never really had a brand so I wasn't aware that you had a preference. I thought you just picked whatever," Makoto laughed. "I think you pour them into your container?"

Haru just nodded. "Get 10 bottles."

"What?!" Makoto gasped. "Isn't that a bit too much?"

"Five bottles are yours." Haru started walking towards the cashier. As much as he wanted to see Makoto's reaction, the need to cool down his ever-so-flustered face was more of a priority.

\----

"That cashier girl was too friendly with you," Haru said as they walked back to his apartment with the bag in Makoto's hands.

"Really? You think so?" Makoto asked, sounding a bit too happy for his own good.

Haru scowled at him, then turned away after one last glare. He pointedly walked faster, almost leaving his assistant behind. Makoto just gave him a very confused  smile in response. 

"By the way, Haru." Makoto hurried his pace so he could catch up with Haru's strides. "Thank you."

"For what?" 

Makoto stopped walking. He leaned towards Haru to face him--looking part shy and part playful--while presenting him the bag he was hugging to his chest with a childish grin on his face. "For these." 

Haru just raised an eyebrow at him. He looked too silly. A big guy like Makoto trying to act all cute in front of Haru on the sidewalk. It was so ridiculously stupid and yet Haru thought it strangely endearing.

"It's nothing." Haru continued walking and Makoto followed. He was definitely not used to giving things to other people. So this was new to him: the feeling and the experience as a whole.

"I promise to use them wisely."

"Maybe work on your art skills, too." Haru added.

Makoto stopped walking again. "Haruuuuuu!" he whined. Haru looked back to see Makoto looking all upset. "Don't be so mean! I'm working on it myself. It'll probably take me years to reach your level, but I'll definitely get there!"

"Give it 600 years and you'll make it to my _current_ level," replied the mangaka, making his assistant whine more.

He just gave the big guy a smile and went back to walking. As soon as Makoto was by his side again, he said, "Makoto, I don't want you to give up on your dream to be a mangaka."

Silence was enough for Haru to know that Makoto was listening to him.

"Haru, can I shake your hand?" Makoto politely asked.

What? What on earth was he asking all of a sudden? 

"Why?" Panic was all over Haru's face. He wasn't actually quite sure how to react. Doesn't Makoto understand that he has an issue with proximity? Okay, perhaps not. They barely knew each other; they'd met just 4 days ago to be exact. So there'd been no chance of telling him nor was there a need for Haru to inform him. It was just the kind of thing you notice about people.

"Old habit, I guess," Makoto shrugged. "Also, it's the closest thing to what my Mom and I used to do. Back then, every time I felt happy, she would always hold my hand." He smiled fondly at the memory. "She said it was so that the happiness can be shared between two people. But since we're pretty much strangers to each other, holding hands is probably too forward, huh?"

Makoto must have noticed the look on Haru’s face (which Haru could only assume was incredulous) because he was soon backtracking. "Oh! B-but I guess if you have a problem with shaking a guy's hand it's totally fine with me! I just feel like, having you, the one who I aspire to be, telling me not to give up on my dream... It seems so surreal. I guess you could say I'm pretty happy, but if you don't--"

_You promised you'd make it work, Haru._

Haru suddenly grabbed his free hand and shook; it caused Makoto's eyes to widen in surprise. 

"You better damn well share that happiness with me then," Haru murmured as he shook Makoto's hand for a few seconds and then he let go.

Next thing they knew, Haru was walking at an even faster pace than before, actually leaving a stunned Makoto behind this time.

But once his head caught up with what happened, Makoto's face lit up and he smiled so wide (the robotically swinging arms of his boss then made his smile grow into a grin). He went on a light jog to catch up, but he must have underestimated his stride because he was beside Haru again so much sooner than either of them thought. 

Because of his carelessness, Haru miscalculated and swung his arm too far causing his hand to brush Makoto's--the one that wasn't clutching the bag full of art materials close to his chest.

The contact stopped Haru in his tracks and had Makoto walking a few more steps because he stopped too late. Haru bowed his head and shifted uneasily on his feet, before shoving both hands in his pockets. He then slowly looked up and met the patient question in Makoto's eyes.

Haru could see that Makoto didn't expect an answer though, so he didn't give him one.

They soon resumed their walking--after a mumbled apology from the mangaka--with Haru matching Makoto's pace this time. Haru walked in silence, feeling a lingering sense of warmth on the hand he had buried deep within his pocket.

\-----

Once the apartment was within sight, they could easily spot a redhead walking back and forth, tracing an invisible oval path, seemingly mumbling to himself. He stopped as soon as he noticed someone approaching and looked at them with irritation.

"How long were you going to keep me--" His thought was cut off when he noticed the two guys in front of him. "WHY THE HELL ARE YOU OUT  _TOGETHER_ ?"

Haru brushed past Rin to open the door, completely ignoring his entire existence.

"How many times do I have to tell you not to leave your apartment?!" Rin bellowed. "Are you this confident no one will enter and steal something?" Rin faced Makoto as if he was the root of all this. "And you," he pointed accusingly. "I thought you were a bit more responsible than this, Makoto."

"But Haru wanted to buy ink together. I did offer to do it myself instead but he--" Makoto defended.

"I don't care, you're not supposed to give in to what he wants. He's an idiot. He's not in his right mind. Everything he does is--" Rin kept on going with his lecture.

"...is amazing," Makoto smiled as he watched Haru's figure disappearing from view.

Rin just stared at him like Makoto was being ridiculous. Makoto noticed Rin's silence so he looked at him with confusion on his face. "What?"

Rin shook his head in disbelief. "How do I keep getting stuck with idiots?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'd like to thank [Moeby](http://moeby.tumblr.com/) for helping me out with proofreading this. It was so much fun we even had bloopers that may or may not be a constant thing from now on. And I give my love to [Gypselia](http://gypselia.tumblr.com/) for the second proofing! 
> 
> **CHAPTER 2 BLOOPERS**
> 
> **Makoto:** Basically he told me to go out and earn my _jelly legs_. Oops, I mean, _sea legs_.  
>  **Haru:** Well come on then, Makoto. Let's have you earn your _jelly legs_.  
>  **Makoto:** Uh, no, Haru. It's sea legs.  
>  **Haru:** No, it's jelly legs.
> 
> What is jelly legs? I guess it's up for you to find out. But you have been warned.  
> It was a typo that turned into this HAHHAHAHHA


	3. The Side Character

It was a now-typical weekday and Haru and Makoto were seated at their respective work stations, looking at Rin who kept pacing back and forth again (tracing another unseen oval path). The editor looked too troubled, as if he did not know where to start.

Start _what_ exactly?

Haru was getting really annoyed. He's never been a fan of people who can't keep still and seeing Rin--moving around like a stupid vulture hesitating over whether or not to eat its prey--was pressing all of Haru's wrong buttons. All of them.

It has to stop.

"Sit down, Rin," Haru ordered his editor with a glare.

"Haru," Rin said almost pleadingly, his shoulders bunching up and then drooping low as he sighed.

Haru looked up from his work to give Rin another one of his irritated glares.

Rin ran his hand through his fringe with a loud heavy sigh, most likely out of frustration.

"Rin, you sound so irritated. Is something wrong?" Makoto asked, looking worried.

The editor's red head snapped to attention in Makoto's direction, his eyes narrowed into a glare as if to remind him of the crime he had just committed: running away with his boss. _"How dare you sound so innocent??"_  Rin's eyes demanded. Well, he didn't exactly run away since Haru _did_ ask him to go along with him. He was only doing what he was told. Besides, nothing terrible had happened; there were no reports of physical injury, there were no reports of misconduct, and nothing had been lost this time...

"It's fine, Makoto. Rin is always like this. He holds an absurd, but not totally baseless, idea that I'm on a personal vendetta to ruin his life," Haru deadpanned as he went back to inking.

"Hey! Who told you that you're always ruining my life?" Rin angrily asked and then he pouted. "Not all the time, okay? Jeez, you're giving yourself too much credit," be mumbled.

The mangaka just rolled his eyes out of annoyance. "Stop stalling, Rin and cut to the chase. I haven't got all day."

Rin stared at Haru. He couldn’t believe how dense his charge was – couldn’t he read the atmosphere? He should be able to see that the reason Rin looked so troubled was because he had news and he knew that Haru wasn’t going to like it – not one bit.

"Sorry," Makoto apologized.

"What? Why are you apologizing for him?" Rin asked, his stare incredulous.

"Uh, sorry about that."

"Stop that!" Rin snapped.

"Why are you so annoyed, Rin? Just spit it out," Haru sighed.

Rin rolled his eyes. "Okay, fine. Fine. Here I am, trying to be considerate of your feelings and break it to you gently, but you're basically telling me to just drop the bomb."

Haru nodded. He didn't need all this pretentiousness before receiving a bad news. If you had a band-aid to get rid of, just rip it off. Get it over with. The sooner you got it over with, the sooner you could begin the healing process.

"Your side characters _suck_ ," Rin blurted out. "There. I said it."

Upon hearing the criticism, Haru dropped his pen and he just froze.

Makoto glanced at Rin, his concerned eyes asking whether or not freezing up on the spot was a normal occurrence for the mangaka--although it was quite amusing, it was also a little bit worrisome.

Makoto reached out to touch Haru's empty hand, which was still in a writing position midair. He wasn't moving at all. "Uh, Rin, I think you just _broke_ him."

"Typical of him," Rin rolled his eyes. "This is why I was trying to---"

"How _dare_ you say my side characters suck, you lecherous Shark Teeth!" Haru suddenly growled, surprising the other two.

 _Shark Teeth?_ Makoto thought. That _was_ pretty fitting for Rin. But _lecherous?_ Not quite sure about that. He restrained himself from laughing as the two continue to exchange insults.

"Well, they _do_ suck, you stupid fish!" Rin retorted.

 _Fish? What? Why 'Fish'?_ Makoto looked at Haru as if thinking he would magically turn into a fish, that would explain the insult.

"No, they don't!" answered Haru defensively, then he turned to Makoto. "Tell him, Makoto."

Both guys looked at him. He honestly felt like he was in a shoujo manga and two guys were asking him which of the two love interests he liked best. Stupid, Makoto. You and your shoujo manga obsession.

"Ummm," Makoto started. "They don't suck?" he tried.

"See," Haru said proudly.

Rin just rolled his eyes. "Of course he'd say that. He's a big a fan of your manga series, you idiot," Rin sighed.

Makoto just smiled helplessly. I mean, come on. He can't really say anything bad about Haru's manga. To him, it was perfection, really.

"I know you must feel like I'm always deliberately antagonizing you, Haru," Rin started calmly this time. There is no use losing his cool over this mangaka. Haru would just become all competitive and it would take years for him to back down--actually, he would never even.

"You're the antagonist of my life," Haru confirmed, causing Rin to click his tongue out of annoyance.

"Thing is, you focus too much on your protagonist being obsessed with water and swimming. All of the panels are just literally him, talking to himself."

"As protagonists usually do," Haru interjected matter-of-factly.

Rin ran his hand through his fringe once again. This wasn't going anywhere. "It's partly my fault, I allowed your story to flow like this because I was too caught up in being all nostalgic about swimming as well, but you gotta give your protagonist have a life outside of swimming, too. He doesn't even have a best friend, Haru! How pathetic can this guy be??!!"

Haru raised one eyebrow. "He's the best in swimming."

Shark Teeth rolled his eyes. "Yeah, sure. But take that away and what or who does he have?"

Makoto had been listening intently and even he started to realize that it was true; Aki--Haru's protagonist--was too fixated on his swimming and it was hardly ever shown how he was coping with normal, every day life. Rin really was proving himself capable at this whole editor thing, wasn't he? Pointing that out and all.

Makoto began to ponder about the possible ways for Haru's side characters to come to life. "Hmmm, how about giving him a childhood friend or something?"

"Childhood what?" Haru turned his head to Makoto as if he just said the most ridiculous thing.

If eyes could sparkle like those in shoujo manga, Rin's eyes would have.

"Exactly, Makoto!" Rin encouraged, smiling.

"You could have them bump into each other at, say, a grocery store or something. Then they start reminiscing." Makoto continued, feeling more helpful than he ever had with his beta colouring.

"That is like a cheesy shoujo manga," Rin teased. "As expected from you, Makoto." A ridiculous laugh followed which made Makoto blush red like a tomato.

It wasn't his fault he grew up reading shoujo manga. He reads shounen manga from time to time too but nothing can beat the feelings he would have when he'd read about a girl struggling for her one true love. It was just so _touching_.

"Haru," Rin turned to the mangaka who he confesses to not liking very much, but he must admit Haru is sometimes very good at what he does and has a lot of untapped talent. Rin just wants to bring that talent out more "You have to develop your side characters. Maybe take Makoto's suggestion. It doesn't have to be two or five characters all at once. Take it slow. Develop their personalities, how they look, how they behave... their hobbies, like," then he turned to Makoto. "...shoujo manga reading for one. Add something!"

Haru looked too troubled, his eyebrows furrowing.

"How exactly do I do that? I can't just randomly make up crappy characters. How do I even develop them? Rin, you know what I am."

"Observe, then. Observe people." Rin suggested. "That's how most people do it."

\-----

As someone who avoided social encounters as much as possible (so much so that previously he'd stayed indoors at all costs), observing people was something Haru never pictured himself doing. He just wasn't interested in other people to begin with. Surely his imagination could suffice?

 _"Get out there and observe the people surrounding you, fish head."_ Rin had told him before he left a few hours ago.

He sighed deeply, burying his face in his hands. Why, why, _why?_ And _how?_

He already felt dizzy at the thought of him outside of the house at noon, free for the sun to shine on him and bake him like an oven would a cake. He was already sweating in places he'd rather not think about. And his face contorted into, what he was sure was, an ugly grimace at the troubling certainty that is bumping into other sweaty people; he could already feel the disturbing paradox of sticky wetness and sliding skin-on-skin...and oh lords, he is going to be sick!

No! No, he is not going out of this house.

He looked around, his eyes wide, searching for any way, _any possible way_ that he could stay at home but still be able to do what Rin told him to do. Nothing. Anything that he has that isn't connected to mangas comprised of a lamp, his refrigerator and his bed. Unless someone suddenly appeared on his bed, there's nothing he can do. He groaned in frustration. Why didn't he think of buying a TV? Sure, he didn't need it then, but look at him now. Miserable and pathetic.

Then his eyes landed on his assistant. His assistant who was oblivious to his turmoil and his suffering. His assistant who had headphones on, bobbing his head to a song Haru could only guess was some cheesy pop song. Makoto was even lip syncing as he was cutting the screentones for the finished pages Haru had given him. He looked like he was enjoying himself so much, Haru couldn't keep his eyes off him. Makoto looked so relaxed and... was he happy? Well, his assistant certainly looked it.

Again, Haru found himself thinking that it was almost unbelievable that a big guy like Makoto would be handling manga manuscripts. Wasn't it true that giants were incapable of being delicate? Yet here was Makoto, going about his work with careful gentleness; his fingers catching Haru's attention. He watched Makoto go through the motions, his hands working mechanically like a well-oiled machine. But the more Haru watched, the more he realized that even though his assistant worked robotically efficient, Makoto never lacked warmth.

A stirring at the back of his mind rang a bell ain Haru's head; this warmth was familiar. Familiar in a way that your own blankets (not anyone else's) were a great comfort during winter--you wanted to bury yourself in them. When Haru recognized it, he felt a small tingling sensation at the tips of his own fingers...

Haru didn't notice that he was already staring too long. So lost in a sensation from his subconscious memories, he didn't even realize that Makoto had already stopped moving and now had his eyes fixed on him.

"You're staring, Haru," Makoto awkwardly said as he shifted his headphones to hang on his neck. "I-is there something on my face?" he stuttered, a flush creeping up his neck (despite his apparent efforts to keep it down, judging by the look on his face, ).

Haru didn't even stop staring, instead his stare intensified as if something incredible dawned on him for the first time in his life.

Ignoring his poor assistant, he took out his spare sketchpad from just below the first drawer of his table and he started sketching. Tuning the world out, only the rapid scratchings of his pencil-on-paper movements echoed in his ears.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was TOO long I had to cut it into two parts!! Next chapter will be posted tomorrow!
> 
> Again, [Moeby](http://moeby.tumblr.com/), my love, thank you for proofreading this. <3  
> Much love to [Gypselia](http://gypselia.tumblr.com/) for the second proofing!  
> One again there's bloopers! We tried writing smut and this was how it went. :)) We're too inexperienced for this! But of course, we took it out. XD
> 
>  **CHAPTER 3 BLOOPERS PART 1**  
>  Haru held Makoto's dick. Hard. Very Hard.  
> Then he sucked it.
> 
>  **CHAPTER 3 BLOOPERS PART 2**  
>  Haru noticed that Makoto was bobbing his head happily to what he could only guess was some stupid cheesy pop song. It was soon confirmed when his assistant absentmindedly started singing out loud what he could recognize was a song of One Direction. Haru was caught of guard that he couldn't help but restrain from laughing because of the whole idea. Makoto and One Direction. It was too good to be true.
> 
> It's so stupid I know but we were crying. HAHAHAHAHAH


	4. The New Side Character

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Give it up for the lovely [Moeby](http://moeby.tumblr.com/) for co-writing this because I just can't seem to make up my mind who's POV of a 3rd person POV I was gonna use. :)) You're my Messiah. Bless you! I'm [Lordzuuko](http://lordzuuko.tumblr.com/) on Tumblr in case you wanna chat about MakoHaru OTL And the adorable [Gypselia](http://gypselia.tumblr.com/) for proof reading this!

"Well, what's this all about? You're a bit excited aren't you, Haru?" Rin teased the pouting raven-head who had called him at four o'clock in the morning (an ungodly hour to be woken up by a call from Nanase Haruka) just to tell him to pass by his place to check on his new side character--and then he hung up on him right after, before he could even say _"Hello."_      

"Shut up," muttered the mangaka; rude as always.

The door suddenly opened, drawing the attention of both Rin and Haru towards the newcomer. Makoto appeared in the doorway, looking bright as usual. He wore a red plaid shirt, unbuttoned to reveal a black tee underneath, and a well-fitting pair of black pants that made him look effortlessly spiffy. _Like he always does_ , Rin had to admit as an afterthought.

Something was new today though, and Rin belatedly noted that Makoto was wearing glasses. This was the first time Rin had seen him wearing them and he couldn't blame Haru for staring, since he was in awe himself. Rin had always been aware of the power of a good pair of glasses on a good-looking person, but this... _this_ was living proof. 

"Good morning, Haru." Makoto took a few more seconds before he noticed Rin (who would have been offended normally, but right now he didn't have the energy to be even a little miffed). "Oh! Good morning to you too, Rin." 

Rin looked away pretending he was being blinded by a bright light. "I hate it when he does that. Don't you, Haru?" he whispered in an effort to embarrass Haru, but when he looked at him, he wasjust in time to see a smile fading from the mangaka's face.

Rin watched Haru return Makoto's greeting amicably, which surprised him in turn. He was able to hide his surprise, though; which was something he couldn't say for himself when he he felt his eyes widen as he watched Haru make no effort to move away and reclaim his personal space when Makoto passed by them (which took a small bit of shuffling since they were all still standing by the door) to get to his table.  

Rin gave himself a mental shake in disbelief.

Weird.

Haru, though, continued to stare at his assistant, still unaware that Rin was staring at him staring at Makoto. Rin just had to ask the obvious.

"Hey, Makoto," Rin called out.

"Yeah?" Makoto answered as he placed his bag on the table.

Rin looked at Haru (who was still staring, barely even moving--was he even breathing?) then back to Makoto. "Were you always blind?" He asked as he gestured towards his own eyes to point out the black framed glasses Makoto was wearing.

"Oh, these?" Makoto touched his own glasses and smiled sheepishly. "Well, I lost my other contact lens. So I'm a bit blind, but these glasses will have to do for today... until I can get a new pair of contacts." He looked a bit worried so he had to ask. "Is it a bit of a bother? Are they really that hideous?"

Rin discreetly glanced at Haru again, waiting for a reaction, but nothing. Rin doesn't exactly know what is going on between the two of them but even he can appreciate that Makoto was really charming today. Red plaids and all. Damn.

"Charming, _love_." Rin smiled winningly pairing it up with an exaggerated drawl of his Australian accent, knowing that it works best to fight charm with charm. "You look charming today."

Makoto was taken aback by the sudden compliment he got. "W-what?" He stuttered as he tried to hide his blush but failed miserably.

And faster than he could blink, Rin saw a glare directed at him care of Haru. Rin was so amused, he shrugged. "What?"

Haru just rolled his eyes as he moved to settle down behind his desk, making Rin skim his upper teeth with his tongue so that his mouth would be too busy to laugh. Rin knew Haru liked what he saw. Well, maybe not for sure, but the look in the mangaka's eyes as he gazed at his assistant was nothing short of appraising, and from there, Rin knew he had a pretty good guess.

"Anyway," Rin cleared his throat. "I'll have a look at your side character drafts now, Haru," Rin announced to get the attention of his charge who was apparently still observing Makoto while he prepared his materials and laid them out in order.

Rin rolled his eyes. He felt like _s_ omething was happening, and really, it wasn't a bad thing too. Whatever it was. Not like he cared, actually.

Haru seemed to snap to attention and retrieved a stack of papers from his table and practically shoved it into Rin's hands. Rin was caught off guard, and almost dropped the papers due to Haru's almost mythical show of enthusiasm. 

He looked down at the sketches and found the rough beginnings of a guy with a build that was a nice combination of lanky and muscular, and sporting average-length hair. Perusing the details listed by Haru, Rin found that this character had brown hair, was around 183 cm in height,and his preferred swimming style was backstroke. The character was interested, the list continued, in music, cats and shoujo mangas. And at the bottom, underlined maybe at least twice, was a note that stood out all too much.

_"Has a very distinct smile that could probably cure cancer."_

_What the hell is this?_ Rin shook his head in disbelief and glared in confusion at the paper as if it would magically answer and explain  (which was clearly stupid even to himself) the reason behind everything that was written on it.

This was just plain terrible! He gave Haru a look as though his glare could penetrate the mangaka's stupid brain that will miraculously fix itself. Haru didn't even look at him, he was still too busy stealing glances at Makoto every once in a while whenever he thought no one would notice. But Rin did. He _so_ did. Makoto may be oblivious, but not Rin. _I saw that, Nanase._   

Unbelievable. This was too ridiculous. He had told Haru to observe people. People _outside_  of his house. He had exactly ONE job. And the little shit obviously half-assed his way through the assignment and observed the only person he could see without leaving his own goddamned home! 

The list describing the character went on and on, it was already starting to sound too familiar to Rin he could only cringe. At the sight of the name at the bottom, Rin felt his hands shake and he saw _red_.

That was it. That was the final straw.

\------

A loud slam to his right startled Haru and caused him to jump in his seat; Makoto, too, Haru noticed from the corner of his eye. Their desks shook a little too, and Haru felt his temper rising a little bit because it was his knees that hit the desk.

"What was that for?" Haru asked, irritation obvious in his voice as he looked at the his drafts on the table then back at Rin.

"What I cannot grasp is _this_ , Haru." Rin pointed a shaking finger at the papers in front of him, a wild look in his eye. "This is literally the most boring side character I have ever graced my eyes upon in all of my years of manga reading!"

 _Rin was being a stupid drama queen again,_ thought Haru.

"Moreover, you named your side character _'Makoto!_ '" Rin continued as he pointed at Makoto who jolted in surprise upon hearing his name. "For goodness' sake, Haru! Are you even taking this seriously?!" 

Haru looked unaffected by the sudden uproar of his editor, but he was a mess of questions inside. He didn't know if Rin really couldn't understand or not (and if he didn't, did he really have to be so annoying about it? The least he could do was rein in the stink eye). But what was there to be so mad about? His side character seemed just fine.

"Makoto is a very nice name," came Haru's reply.

Haru noticed that Makoto, who was sitting as quietly as possible, trying to pretend he wasn't even there, had turned as red as a cherry. He couldn't put his finger on why Makoto had such a reaction. Then he remembered what he'd just told Rin, and started to feel embarrassed but he did his best to hide it. He turned back to face Rin just in case Makoto might notice. It wasn't like he'd lied, it was true. He _does_ find the name Makoto rather nice.

"I don't really care, Haru!" bellowed Rin. His shoulders were shaking now, and they bunched upwards with tension. "This side character Makoto even looks like him!!"

Haru closed his eyes and knitted his eyebrows. He placed his pen on the table with a slight, but still forceful, slam of his hand. He was so _done_. He has had _enough_ of Rin always criticizing his choices and delaying his progress. If Haru's patience was a cup, he'd already be spilling water everywhere; and wasting water was like wasting his time-- _hateful_.

"I don't really see anything wrong with Makoto looking like Makoto, Rin! What is your problem?!" Haru voiced louder than usual, his anger leaking through.  

The silence that followed made Haru stop and evaluate the situation. From the look of it, it seemed like Rin and Makoto were both taken by surprise at Haru's sudden outburst. It was mostly the look on Makoto's face that had the anger that suddenly overtook him leave him just as quick. 

And Makoto, he looked concerned. Haru guessed that it could be because Makoto knows what it feels like to actually like something you created (which doesn’t come as often as most might think; most artists are always dissatisfied with their work) and he must know how it feels for that thing to then be rejected and criticized. And it _was_ criticized; it was criticized in the worst way possible when Rin called it ‘ _boring_. _’_  

Haru took a mental step back because he understood that Rin was only doing his job as his editor and he was there to _help_. Makoto, too.

Rin took a deep breath and tried a calmer tact. "My problem, Haru, is that I told you to go out and observe real people. Their gestures, their body language, their speech patterns! You were supposed to see how people _interact_ with other people! How they would act with a _friend_ and how it would be different from acting with someone who’s not, like a _real_ person would. Instead, you have this... _crap_ ," Rin gestured to Haru's drafts which were now scattered all over the table. "...because you didn't do it. I don’t understand how you can be this bull-headed!" 

"Are you saying that Makoto isn't a real person?" Haru replied in a voice that became dangerously low, ignoring the latter part of his editor’s speech. "That's completely below the belt. And besides you only told me to observe people around me and Makoto..." Haru pointed at the guy, "...was the only one available around here that I’m comfortable to observe! I don't really see what the problem is."

Rin gritted his teeth as he pulled his hair out of frustration. He looked like he was at his wits' end. "Dammit, Nanase Haruka I would just strangle you if I could." He clenched his fists as hough they were wrapped around the neck of an imaginary Haru.

Haru didn’t even see him move, but Makoto was suddenly in-between him and Rin. Haru felt a twitch on his lips; he can barely see Rin now, and the funny image of the three of them standing around in a small workroom was like a bucket of water on his hot temper.

"That's enough, you two. There will be no violence involved here, you understand me?" Makoto’s stern voice doused the remaining live embers of his mood, and for once Haru felt happy to have him on his side—not to mention that he even had someone that had his back  which was not something he was used to.  

"This is ridiculous." Rin rolled his eyes. "Did you even hear what I just said, Makoto? I always seem like the villain here." 

 _You are, though,_ Haru thought acerbically.

"Now, now, Rin." Makoto held his hands out, palms towards Rin like how one would placate a cornered animal. "I'm pretty sure Haru--"

"No, he--" 

"If I make a side character based on _you_ , would you shut up?" Haru interrupted, making his editor stop what he was about to say.

"What?" Rin looked at him in disgust, and raised an incredulous eyebrow. "What on Earth would give you the idea that I’d want that? Oh my god." He turned around out of frustration. "Unbelievable. What is even going on in your head?" 

Makoto let out a soft laugh that became unconvincing coughs when Rin shot him a look. 

"Get out, Rin," Haru commanded as he pointed to the door.

Rin grabbed his coat and walked towards the door brushing past Haru's shoulder with force. "You didn't even have to tell me." 

As soon as Rin shut the door (in a way that was reminiscent of a child throwing a tantrum), Haru went back to his seat and collected all the pages that got messed up because of Rin’s diva moment.

\--------

Makoto helped him in silence and a blush surfaced when he grabbed the paper that had the note about the smile. He looked at Haru who looked like his usual calm self, as if the fight with Rin a few seconds ago didn't even happen. Talk about an emotional rollercoaster! Every single time he thought that things were calming down, one of them would say something that would tick the other off all over again. He had to wonder if this was a normal occurrence between the two...

As soon as Makoto had fixed all the papers and placed the stack neatly on Haru's table, he went back to his station.

"I'm still going to use it, you know?" Makoto heard Haru mumble out of the blue as he made his way back to his table. As soon as he sat down, he turned towards Haru again, only to come face-to-face with his bowed head.

Makoto could have sworn he saw a hint of redness somewhere around Haru's ears. Either that or the light from the window was playing tricks with his eyes. He squinted  a little just to check once again. Nope, Haru's ears were indeed beet red. Could it be that the room temperature was too high for him? Then again, this was Haru's house, if he wanted to lower the temperature, he would have done so already. So, Makoto dismissed the whole idea in the end.

"Well, it's your manga, Haru. Of course you can do whatever you want," Makoto encouraged him with a smile.

As soon as Makoto settled on his chair, he heard a soft whisper from Haru who must have thought Makoto wouldn't be able to hear him. It made him smile so much, he could feel the corners of his mouth hurt a little. 

_"I don't think Makoto is boring at all."_

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [New Year's Eve](https://archiveofourown.org/works/3203930) by [AcerbusEquinomin](https://archiveofourown.org/users/AcerbusEquinomin/pseuds/AcerbusEquinomin)




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